I first saw passementerie-embellished footwear on a pair of boots several years ago while browsing through one of those old paper Spiegel catalogs that used to arrive in my mailbox on a near-daily basis.  Back when finding a catalog item on back-order was a normal course of events with mail-order houses and not an internet emergency requiring the thwarted buyer to immediately write a scathing site review; my, how expectations have changed. This was also before I knew how much other women were willing to spend on things like shoes and fashion and the then-$60 price-tag on the boots in question still fell firmly into my personal idea of ‘too-spendy’ to consider actually purchasing. Since then, I have seen passementerie-bedecked shoes arrive in stores at rare, irregular, and unpredictable intervals that easily defy my own, limited, ability to predict.

Anyway, on to the now - and Christian Louboutin’s recent forays into passementerie…which, since they have been out for more than five seconds, are pretty much sold out everywhere.

Oh well. If you, unlike me, are unable to resist the appeal of these sumptuously-styled pumps, now’s the time to grab the style….because Louboutin’s popularity makes anything he touches golden and therefore likely to be copied by other, less creative (or expensive) footwear brands.

Case in point:

Martinez Valero ‘Olivia’ passementerie pump. $107.19 - 160.00 at Nordstrom, Heels.com, Endless.com, Amazon.com and Myglassslipper.com - just for starters.

The ivory or white pairs are simply ideal for matching to a bridal gown.  I am surprised that this isn’t more of a bridal-shoe staple.

So, if you like the passementerie style, you may not have another chance at purchasing anything like this for some time…the braided ribbon detail really doesn’t come along and visit all that often here in shoe-land.

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From the LA Times:

I’ve already posted this over on Facebook. But, I wanted a reminder here to all of our readers on the main blog pages.

This is particularly aimed a those of you ladies lucky enough to live in the greater Los Angeles area. You have a chance to get designer shoes for a mere $75 today, Nov 11, through Friday Nov 13.

Per the Times article (Note the bolded items if you are looking to take advantage of this event):

The makers of Baileys Original Irish Cream are partnering with five shoe designers, Alejandro Ingelmo, Farylrobin, Rafe, Shree Moni and Vanessa Noel, to create a pair of one-of-a-kind shoes inspired by the beverage. The shoes will be auctioned on the website of the charity Clothes Off Our Back, with 100% of the proceeds going to the charity.

To get prospective buyers excited for the event, Baileys is hosting a pop-up shoe shop in Los Angeles, selling shoes from designers such as Casadei, Sergio Rossi and L.A.M.B. for $75 a pair. Who are we kidding? It’s a steal. Once again, all proceeds will go to Clothes Off Our Back.

The event will be held Nov. 11-13, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 156 S. Robertson Blvd. Make sure not to bring the young ones. You must be 21 to enter the store.

Who me…Jealous much?

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6pm.com is having one of their brand-clearance specials today. This time it’s on the Gabriella Rocha brand.

Prices on some shoe are as low as $4.95 - you can’t even beat those prices at Payless!

Many styles are on sale:

Juliette $7.95 $43

Glori $7.95 $65

Chill $4.95 $81

Mindola $7.95 $61

So, frugalistas: Go forth and shop

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I haven’t done any sale updates or shopping deals for awhile. So, today I swung by smartbargains.com.

What do you know?  They have a bunch of new boot styles in stock to whet your winter appetite.

You all know the only thing I love more than shoes & boots is finding them at a stellar price. Of course, the one caveat that is always true with Smartbargains is that quantities are always limited - and when they’re gone, they’re gone.

So, here are my quick picks great fall style and value:

London Fog ‘Zoey’ in black or chestnut;  $130 $79.99. This is a cozy, practical, cold-weather style.

Max Studio ‘Reunion’ in black or brown $260 $129.99. This has a rubberized sole - which I tend to find helpful in wet & icy weather.

Marciano Ellen $280 $99.99. Tread for winter weather and a high-heel; this is an interesting and sexy little loafer bootie - and it’s got a nice bit of tread on it as well.

Lovely People ‘Finley’ with faux-fur trim; $140 $79.99. A cute and warm-looking bootie; great for pairing with winter outfits.

Charles by Charles David ‘Pow Wow’ $165 $79.99. We haven’t seen the last of fringe yet. These are a nice nod to the moccasin-style inspiration without going too over the top.

Matisse ‘Sioux’ $188 $99.99 in black or brown. Yet another fringe style - this time with a tall winter/fall shaft.

Lovely People ‘Riddler’ $160 $79.99 in black, grey or cognac. A low suede style with a touch of the currently-popular metal-stud detail. Don’t forget to water-proof these!

Lovely People ‘Velma’ $160 $79.99 in grey, black or cognac. I love all the knotted straps on these. Plus, I have had a soft spot for grey, sueded boots for at least 20 years….. go figure.

London Fog ‘Foxy’ All-weather leather boots $135 $79.99. Can I just say ‘Wow!’. These are amazingly gorgeous - plus they’re waterproof. Sign me up.

Matisse ‘Brooklyn’ $175 $99.99. Another ‘I think I’m in love boot’…no particular reason. They just make me go *sigh*. A lot.

Other good news for frugalistas: Some of these boots are still in the ‘new arrivals’ category and are eligible for an additional 20% off at checkout (for a limited time).

So, is it time to go shopping yet?

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Last Monday, after picking me up at the airport, my hubby was kind enough to stop by Nordstrom as a way of killing time before meeting for dinner with the in-laws that evening (Our little town doesn’t get any fancier than Macy’s & TJ Maxx).  So, we did the mall walk-through, ending in the Nordie’s shoe department …. Oh, do they have other departments?

Anyway, they were just enough new boots on display to make me both excited and impatient for fall to be here already.  And, there was one purple ankle bootie that had hubby again acting the enabler to my shoe habit - All purple suede and a funky-tough zipper trim. “Hey Babe, you don’t really have anything in purple, do you?”.   (Really, this is why I can’t take the man shopping with me: I can say no to myself, but he has a bit of a tougher time of it….Of course, I suppose a gal could have worse issues to deal with than a hubby that wants to see her happy.)

And, I have to admit, I don’t have anything in my shoe-closet quite like this:

Steven by Steve Madden ‘Bevan’ $99.90 $168.95

But, I was good and didn’t try them on. After all, we had dinner plans and had the whole next day free before we needed to head back on the 3-hour drive back home.

Um, maybe not so good. Apparently, Nordstrom re-set their entire women’s shoe department overnight and these babies were nowhere to be found in-store come Tuesday.

But, all was not lost.  While no longer available at the local Nordstrom (I have a feeling The Rack could be seeing these shortly), a quick search at the Nordstrom website had these showing on sale for about $70 off. So, I guess, that’s not such bad news after all.

Now, at $100 these are a much better value than when they were at their original $170-ish pricing. Plus, Madden’s are a great fit on my higher arched feet; they are almost always true to size and ready to wear without my needing to run to the store for arch inserts.

And let’s face it. They’re purple! Maybe it’s time to dust of my Nordstrom’s card.

(Oh, and in case you are interested in these, they are also available in several other color and leather choices at Steve Madden, Zappos, and Endless)

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